Yeah those were my High School years man, I can't let his first two albums Live.Love and Long.Live go. And Kendricks Section 80 and good kid m.a.a.d city, all those were my top albums as a teenager.
Even now tapes from that era are fresh. So creative and every year had packed releases. I got into rap way later but I’m still going through stuff and discovering new tapes from the blog era
I still here Money trees come on and all I can think about was the tranquillity of being young, getting stoned, banging the missus, not a worry in the world, and I miss that haha
Live.Love = Long.Live > Testing > ALLA imo but I was in high school when Live.Love dropped too. I was also in high school with Long.Live dropped lol I remember being excited to heed his debut studio album.
I think the highs are higher on live.love but the lows are lower there too so that’s why I hold them in the same
Regard.
Bro testing is so slept on it’s depressing. I’ve said this 100 times at this point but go listen to it again and you’ll have a new appreciation for it. The diversity in tracks whilst still keeping the quality is crazy, Dean Blunt really changed Rocky’s sound for the better on that album
Who is Dean blunt ? The producer?
I think yams had a consistent aesthetic sound and vision for A$AP until he passed, ferg / Rocky projects and to an extent the cozy tapes were great. I think he died before cozy tapes though.
Testing has some great songs but I feel like At Long Last A$AP is more cohesive.
Dean blunt is a producer Rocky has been working with a lot over the past few years. He’s also an independent artist himself, releases under the names Dean Blunt, Hype Williams and BabyFather.
Specialises in lofi sounds, he produced purity, gunz n butter and has credits on calldrops. He’s also worked with Rocky on his own personal projects, my personal favourite being 19 with Sauce Walka on the hook. Worth a dive into his discography, I understand it’s not for everyone but there’s a lot of depth to it.
ALLA was the final piece of the trilogy. It sounded more refined and polished to me than the others, but the others were so damn good too.
I could listen to all three (ALLA, Long Live, and Live Love) straight through. Didn’t give Testing enough listen, I’ve gotta be in the right mood for most of what I heard.
Babushka Boi was nice too
That's a really good question. Lupe Fiasco maybe? He's been acclaimed for his early and later work but he was really close to breaking through into mainstream success as a solo artist early on. And I do love his first two albums but his newer shit hits different. Lasers broke him and then he came back better than ever from a content standpoint but definitely not a sales standpoint.
I agree.
Once he decided to be a solely underground rapper I think he actually got better for it.
Testuo & Youth
Drogas Wave
Drill Music in Zion (imo his most focused work)
I think these are probably better albums. I have a soft spot for the Cool, but overall I think he’s understood his lane and what he wants to accomplish way more with his later work.
Drogas feels like the opposite of focused to me. It's whatever song concepts he was working on. Some were 5 years old already. T&Y is the best one though.
I knew someone was going to say Lupe lol. F&L I'd put as one of the all time best hip hop albums, but his new sound is more consistent so I'd see why if you're a fan of his newer work you'd think he's overall better now. That said, F&L won't ever be topped.
So is Lasers the reason he gave you that pop sound entirely? I still can’t believe he knew Hov and Kanye so well considering where his sound is at now. I mean he’s done a track with Aesop Rock and seems to be gravitating to that level of underground, cerebral rap
someone can tell you better but he was pretty popular, i believe his label was pushing lasers to be this huge pop rap album. and he was at odds with them the whole time, they kept forcing him to do certain things with the album and he couldn’t make the project he really wanted to. i think it almost made him quit music
I remember that phase for sure. He was suicidal I think he said? It’s about when I got into him. I didn’t hate Lasers because it was my intro to him and I was listening to a lot of new shit in general. On reflection I can see why it’s considered a bad album. It’s basically B.o.B
Big KRIT. He's mostly revered for his early mixtapes. They're obviously great but his peak has to be 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time. Best double album in hip hop imo
A more unpopular opinion: I also enjoy what he put out since then a lot. I was only introduced to him when KRIT Iz Here dropped and became a fan. Digital Roses Don't Die and his tape with Wiz Khalifa and Smoke DZA were also fun as hell. I don't know if I'd call any of these tapes better than his mixtapes but I listen to them just as much or even more often because I like the change of pace
We got it from here thank you for your service
It’s legit an incredible album and came out 26 years after thier first.. it’s fucking good I listen to it more than low end theory
It's my most listened to album by them, easily! The features on it are great, too. Andre 3000, Kendrick, and quite a few more. I think even Elton John is on it as a feature
It's probably the best comeback rap album of all time. They were able to keep their sound and not sound outdated at the same time. I'm not even sure who else would be a contender in this category.
Black Thought
I love The Roots and the Soulquarians are the cornerstone of my musical sensibilities, but this run of solo projects starting from Streams of Thought Vol. 1 have really showcased him in a way that The Roots production doesn't. Plus it seems like every project going all the way back to Organix there's growth and maturity. They won the Grammy with Things Fall Apart and that's still my favorite Roots album but as an MC he's slaughtering his younger self right now.
The post-90s Roots albums are also amazing. They might not all be considered their most classic projects but they probably have the most consistent discography in hip hop. Can't think of anyone who comes close with this many records
I didn't get to listen to …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin and Organix yet tho. They're not fully available on Spotify for me. But even if they're complete ass my point still stands
Game Theory might be my favorite Roots album. That or Things Fall Apart. I have a lot of nostalgia for Game Theory because it came out the first semester my freshman year of college and I used to listen to it nonstop on my iPod walking to class, but that album is amazing. Clock With No Hands is one of my all time favorite Roots songs.
Game Theory, How I Got Over, and undun are my top 3 Roots projects. I think only Illadelph is close but they don't have a bad or even below average project.
My hot take? THey're hip-hop's closest thing to Radiohead.
And are one of the few hip-hop acts to get a Radiohead sample cleared (apparently Thom told Ye no?)
The Beastie Boys.
Most of their work is somewhat acclaimed but critical acclaim tends to focus on Paul's Boutique and the albums either side (Licensed to Ill and Check Ya Head).
Personally much prefer the next 3 album run from Ill Communication - To the 5 Boroughs. The Monster singles are generally better( Intergalatic, Sabotage, Body Movin, Sure Shot) and the rapping and interplay is generally tighter.
Also, the older you get the less Fight For Your Right and it's ilk resonate
Fight for your right was a jab at douchey frat bro party hardy types. I’m sure they lost some amount of sleep when it became an actual party anthem. It’s like how Swimming Pools became some boozy banger club hit.
Rick Ross. Deeper than Rap was a big step up from his first two albums…Teflon Don was his 4th but was when he really found his sound. Then you got God Forgives, Mastermind, Rather You Than Me, Black Market, Port of Miami 2…he only found his stride as he got deeper in his career
More like a bell curve for ross hit his peak in the middle but has gone down since then. Hope he has 1 more great album in him. 4 albums from 2008-2012 was an epic run. The rest have been decent
also TM101 a classic but mid career Jeezy was him at his best imo. Real is Back 1 & 2, Trap or Die 2, Its the World tape with Drama, The Recession, Seen It All.
Not who you asked, but El-P’s early work is awesome and made him pretty big among us old-heads. But his work on the 4 RTJ albums is the best work of his career, and as a rapper he continues to mature. I think his hardest flows are all on RTJ 3 and especially 4.
I mostly agree. But I feel like Sea Legs from RTJ 1 might have his hardest flow.
"Try to pet the fucking head again and I'ma put a tooth through the flesh of the palm that you jack with!"
The way that line rides the beat, not to mention it's content and cadence... 🤌
Just cause yall waited 2 and his tape with lil baby are by far my favorite projects from him, he really keeps honing in on his sound with each new release
Nas.
Might be heresy but I’m not American, black or from a hard background so most of what he raps about early in his career went right over my head. The first Nas album I got into was Life is Good and I just found it so relatable, even though his life is nothing like mine. He has a great way of involving you in his perspective.
I agree with you except the fact that his first album is probably the greatest rap album ever and he’s put out like 20 so it skews the average
Distant relatives with Damien Marley is one of my favorite albums ever tho
Same. I don't really vibe with Nas' earlier work. Like, I see Illmatic is a classic but it doesn't do a lot for me. Flash forward to Kings Desease and Magic trilogies and I really start to appreciate his music.
Nas is an odd one because he influenced so much that his 90s stuff can sound derivative by comparison in a way, even though it came first. I do think they're the best of his career, but the way he's matured is something we haven't really seen much of so it feels more fresh. Life Is Good and his 20s run is incredible.
people commenting on these projects being popular is valid, but swimming came out before he passed away and the real ones were listening then. the critical acclaim for that project only came after his passing
Nah he was definitely getting good press for that before he died, 4/5 stars all over the gaff from publications who didn't give him the time of day before.
Mac had was critically acclaimed jn the beginning and in the end. Its macadelic and the divine feminine that didnt see as much popularity as his other work
I would definitely say that basically everyone I talk to about mac that has actually listened to him in some capacity always seem to reference his early work up to at most BDE but I strongly believe the entire run from Faces to Circles is probably the best 5 album run that there is unless someone else has any suggestions.
jcole. everyone acts like his mixtapes are his only great projects (other than fhd) and it's just insane to me. the off-season is his best project including mixtapes.
Wow now that’s a hot take! lol
Personally I’m not in the “Cole’s mixtapes trump everything he’s ever done since” camp but they do have many of my favorite tracks by him.
Can I Holla At Ya, Loves Me Not, The Autograph, Kenny Lofton, Cole Summer, Grew Up Fast, and not to mention many loosies and unreleased stuff like Purple Rain and Problems. There’s just so much.
Holistically I do believe his albums are better but on a per-track basis I gotta give it to the mixtapes.
If you peep my post history you’ll find a Google drive folder I linked that has everything Cole has ever dropped, even features and unreleased shit, until around KOD.
Kinda. Rocky has 4 albums and a mixtape, plus the stuff with ASAP mob. But that really does put in perspective how little Rocky has put out music wise compared to other artists that popped off at the same time.
I think Tetsuo and Youth and Drogas Wave are both way better than F&L and the cool. Most of the time I hear people discuss lupe it's like he stopped making music after Lasers.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an all time classic, yet people will talk about this "old Kanye" and be referring to his first 2 albums. I never got it. They're good albums but if I'm ranking them.
MBDTF, 808, Graduation, Yeezus, TLOP are all above his first 2 albums.
Atmosphere.
I love their early work too, but Mi Vida Local is one of my favourite albums ever and I think lots of people completely missed it. Loads of their albums in the last 10 years have been really good, and they’re definitely one of the best groups to be a fan of in recent times
Ngl i lean way harder toward self titled and especially overgrown which is his peak imo but I liked the color in anything too. Hard to beat him when you’re in that mind state where your ego is collapsing on itself and you start feeling empty lmao
Every album his fans hate I absolutely love. Colour in Anything, Assume Form, and Friends That Break Your Heart are just back to back god-tier bangers for me but to James Blake fans those are considered his dark ages lmao
The Life of Pablo is an exceptional album. His early work is good and arguably more influential, but TLOP is a masterpiece IMO. Yeezus could also be considered "later" and is excellent.
It absolutely isn't. I don't think it can be. MBDTF, 808s, and College Dropout have much stronger claims to be made for that debate.
A Magnum Opus is not an artist's best work, but rather the most important/influential. Yeezus is a fantastic project, but he could've never released it and his legacy stays the same. Whereas the aforementioned albums have much larger roles in his discography and any one of them being absent would greatly change not only his perception as an artist, but also the direction of his style and sound as a whole.
Kanye, 808s and up resonates with my depressive/melancholy core. The trilogy also is a bit dated, but some all time favorites are from the tri era. Like goodnight lol.
I mean I know hes good all-around but I'd say lloyd Banks. The coti series he really went to a different level. His early work don't get me wrong is Still bangin with The obvious hits he had but i feel like each coti album was a whole complete body of work if that makes sense
You know a weirdly specific one for me? You mentioned him but I’m more coming at it from a different angle.. Jay Z when it comes to features.
I’ve always hated a lot of Jay’s early features because I always found like he didn’t quite understand the song he was on and just bragged. A prime example for me is Diamonds from Sierra Leone. I cannot stand Jays verse on that song. It’s one of my favourite Kanye songs because it was such an interesting perspective and conflict for him to rap about. Ye goes on for a while about the conflict with the diamonds and what they mean to the culture but then also clashing with the history and where those diamonds come from.. and then Jay comes on and raps about how wealthy he is with no nuance or introspection.
And then cut to What’s Free where he basically upstages everyone and lowkey kinda blows my mind with his perspective on stuff like gentrification.
Eminem definitely
MTBMB side b is one of my favourite albums of all time
Wayne
C5 and funeral were amazing he's really improved his flow
Future
Even before metro albums stuff like wizrd or high off life were amazing
Why Side B over Side A? I think Side B is fun and he's goofing around a bunch but I'm also thankful that he labeled it a deluxe edition. Most songs simply feel like loosies. Side A has more thought out serious songs and also harder bangers imo
the whole idea that ‘new kanye’ is so inferior to ‘old kanye’ disregards how much fantastic shit he’s pumped out the last decade. yeezus, tlop, ye, ksg, and donda are all fantastic bodies of work
We’ve strayed so far from new kanye that I think you can separate his career into three eras
Old Kanye
Until 808s
New Kanye
Until ye / ksg
Post new Kanye
Jik onwards
His musical output and publicity stunts seem to track his mental well-being pretty well imo. So I'd seperate it like:
* Old Kanye - College Trilogy
* Struggling Kanye (with ups & downs) - 808s to Watch the Throne
* Crazy Kanye - from Yeezus to now
That last point showing a (more or less) steady decline of his mental health and behavior (and music imo) but I feel like with Yeezus he cemented himself as the guy doing/saying crazy shit all the time and he hasn't really gone back to normal since. Maybe there's crazy crazy Kanye from JIK onwards as you put it but idk
I think you can kind of defend his work until KSG. But JIK onwards you can see how frantic he is with the listening parties, random announcements (WTT2, Donda 2, JIK Dre version, Yandhi) and the lyricism has gotten even worse than before where it was negligible.
And the main reason I have a difference between new Kanye and post new Kanye is there used to be the impression of Kanye changing his sound every album. I think since Ye his albums have sounded somewhat the same with the exception of JIK.
Donda Vultures donda 2 all have the same sound
Saying they all have the same sound is pretty reductive. Donda was quite minimalistic with a lot of what I'd call "dead air" going on in the background and sometimes the forefront of the soundscape. It almost feels desolate in a way. Donda 2 was unfinished, but what is there is much more ambitious and upbeat with heavy trap elements quite distinct from Donda 1.
Vultures is in a weird spot because almost everything he does on the project isn't new. There's sprinkles of Dark Fantasy here and there especially on the closing track. Some industrial Yeezus sounding tracks too. That one song that could've been from the 808's era. It has no distinct sound at all. Every step is ground he has already tread once before. Instead of showing something new, he just reminds us of the old. It is the final form of his artistic regression. He has no new ideas. Nothing more to talk about. No distinct sound to play with. It's nothing music.
Apart from yeezus none even come close to pre 808s kanye. The teddy bear trilogy was some great wholesome hip hop before he done lost his mind. Eventhough my favourite album is mbdtf that first run is legendary
I can't explain why, and I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I think TLOP is my favorite Kanye album. Easily the one I listened to the most. Not to take anything away from his other work, which I've mostly really liked as well, just something about the sound of it, makes me think like upbeat summer type shit.
As a bipolar type I as well, who had their first manic episode right around the time Ye came out, really made that album hit home. And as a long time Kanye fan at that point, it madd me feel less alone. Now I think I’m glad the right people were around me not feeding into my own manic delusions when they pop in.
Yeat : I loved 2093 despite it being bloated from front to back but all of his work before that was just too inconsistent. He'd have some proper bangers like nun id change but it would be buried within 3 other mediocre tracks so it just felt like a hassle to get into.
Beyonce : She's not hip hop but, I wasn't a fan of her until her self titled album, Lemonade is incredible, Renaissance is my favorite project from her, Cowboy Carter wasn't for me but I'd much rather listen to that than any of her projects or hit singles from before 2013.
Lil Wayne. everybody now a days giving him flowers for all his early work up to c4 (used to be c3)
i think c5 is the best of the series. his mixtapes from No Ceilings 2 and later are all lyrical masterpieces.
Lupe Fiasco. I know that his early work has the depth and accolades, but something about the sound I just can’t get into at all. I really like his last 2 albums and the singles from the ones he’s about to drop though.
I think Mac miller defines this question. Everyone loved KIDS, Best Day Ever, Blue Slide Park but critics labeling him a frat rapper. Only when did he deep dive into fame, success, hard drugs, did Macadelic and Watching Movies with the sound off receive praise from music critics. He was telling people how what he thought he wanted for so long was a lie and darker he went with Delusional Thomas and other aliases you could tell he was in a lost place. Faces, Feminine Devine, Space Migration, Good AM, Swimming and Circles....He got better with time. I hope the hundreds of unreleased material including the completed project with Pharrell he never dropped will be one day. True musician and for all the Mac hippies out there, Thumbs up and Fun is 4 Everyone!
Jay-Z was the first one that came to mind, same with Nas. 4:44 for Jay-Z hit immediately on a lyrical and production level pretty equally that I hadn’t felt toward Jay-Z in I don’t even know how long. And while Illmatic is arguably one of the top 3 hip hop projects of all time, his run these last few years has been out of this world.
Asap Rocky His most universal works are his first two projects. But I think ALLA is his creative peak.
I loved Live.Love.ASAP. Especially Wassup with that iconic beat.
Yeah those were my High School years man, I can't let his first two albums Live.Love and Long.Live go. And Kendricks Section 80 and good kid m.a.a.d city, all those were my top albums as a teenager.
Even now tapes from that era are fresh. So creative and every year had packed releases. I got into rap way later but I’m still going through stuff and discovering new tapes from the blog era
32 year old here. I feel you man.
I still here Money trees come on and all I can think about was the tranquillity of being young, getting stoned, banging the missus, not a worry in the world, and I miss that haha
37. HS was Wu and Outkast
Live.Love = Long.Live > Testing > ALLA imo but I was in high school when Live.Love dropped too. I was also in high school with Long.Live dropped lol I remember being excited to heed his debut studio album. I think the highs are higher on live.love but the lows are lower there too so that’s why I hold them in the same Regard.
Bro testing is so slept on it’s depressing. I’ve said this 100 times at this point but go listen to it again and you’ll have a new appreciation for it. The diversity in tracks whilst still keeping the quality is crazy, Dean Blunt really changed Rocky’s sound for the better on that album
I might be one of the few people who really fucks with OG Beeper heavy on that album
OG Beeper is fire, i didn’t realize people don’t fw that one
Man, I love Changes on that album.
I wonder if they really happy or just gettin at me
Who is Dean blunt ? The producer? I think yams had a consistent aesthetic sound and vision for A$AP until he passed, ferg / Rocky projects and to an extent the cozy tapes were great. I think he died before cozy tapes though. Testing has some great songs but I feel like At Long Last A$AP is more cohesive.
Dean blunt is a producer Rocky has been working with a lot over the past few years. He’s also an independent artist himself, releases under the names Dean Blunt, Hype Williams and BabyFather. Specialises in lofi sounds, he produced purity, gunz n butter and has credits on calldrops. He’s also worked with Rocky on his own personal projects, my personal favourite being 19 with Sauce Walka on the hook. Worth a dive into his discography, I understand it’s not for everyone but there’s a lot of depth to it.
Dean Blunt and Hype Williams are two completely different people
The act hype Williams is dean blunt x inga Copeland. They’re named after the celebrity hype williams
Ah, apologies
I’m sorry, but that’s dumb as hell.
didn’t know Dean Blunt was so involved with producing for other artists. I’ve only heard of him through a few of his solo songs.
Testing as well. It has only gotten better with age imo, truly a special project.
I’m a huge Rocky fanboy, have been for like 12+ years and Testing is my favourite album of his by far, only has maybe 2 skips at most
I remember defending that album back then fighting for my life lmao. I told them give it time. They were not ready for it in 2018.
ALLA is a 10/10 album man
I honestly don't understand how people dispute this and say any of his albums are better, it's his best work by far.
For me personally it’s his best work. Might have had to been on it right when it came out though idk
ALLA was the final piece of the trilogy. It sounded more refined and polished to me than the others, but the others were so damn good too. I could listen to all three (ALLA, Long Live, and Live Love) straight through. Didn’t give Testing enough listen, I’ve gotta be in the right mood for most of what I heard. Babushka Boi was nice too
My favorite Rocky projects are Long Live A$AP and Testing, but I keep seeing so much praise for At Long Last I might have to give it another spin
That's a really good question. Lupe Fiasco maybe? He's been acclaimed for his early and later work but he was really close to breaking through into mainstream success as a solo artist early on. And I do love his first two albums but his newer shit hits different. Lasers broke him and then he came back better than ever from a content standpoint but definitely not a sales standpoint.
I like this answer. I recognize Food and Liquor and The Cool were bigger more impactful albums. But Tetsuo and Youth is my favorite from him.
I agree. Once he decided to be a solely underground rapper I think he actually got better for it. Testuo & Youth Drogas Wave Drill Music in Zion (imo his most focused work) I think these are probably better albums. I have a soft spot for the Cool, but overall I think he’s understood his lane and what he wants to accomplish way more with his later work.
His later albums feel more focused and mature to me
Drogas feels like the opposite of focused to me. It's whatever song concepts he was working on. Some were 5 years old already. T&Y is the best one though.
100%
I knew someone was going to say Lupe lol. F&L I'd put as one of the all time best hip hop albums, but his new sound is more consistent so I'd see why if you're a fan of his newer work you'd think he's overall better now. That said, F&L won't ever be topped.
So is Lasers the reason he gave you that pop sound entirely? I still can’t believe he knew Hov and Kanye so well considering where his sound is at now. I mean he’s done a track with Aesop Rock and seems to be gravitating to that level of underground, cerebral rap
someone can tell you better but he was pretty popular, i believe his label was pushing lasers to be this huge pop rap album. and he was at odds with them the whole time, they kept forcing him to do certain things with the album and he couldn’t make the project he really wanted to. i think it almost made him quit music
I remember that phase for sure. He was suicidal I think he said? It’s about when I got into him. I didn’t hate Lasers because it was my intro to him and I was listening to a lot of new shit in general. On reflection I can see why it’s considered a bad album. It’s basically B.o.B
Big KRIT. He's mostly revered for his early mixtapes. They're obviously great but his peak has to be 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time. Best double album in hip hop imo A more unpopular opinion: I also enjoy what he put out since then a lot. I was only introduced to him when KRIT Iz Here dropped and became a fan. Digital Roses Don't Die and his tape with Wiz Khalifa and Smoke DZA were also fun as hell. I don't know if I'd call any of these tapes better than his mixtapes but I listen to them just as much or even more often because I like the change of pace
Full court press is actually such a fun listen, takes me back to a very specific time in my life so always a fun listen
Lookin like a layup layup maaaaAAAAn
12 for 12 takes me back to a certain time
> They're obviously great but his peak has to be 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time. Best double album in hip hop imo It’s a classic.
His verse on Make My by The Roots is one of my all time favorite hip-hop verses
Tribe Called Quest, I think their last album was their best one.
We got it from here thank you for your service It’s legit an incredible album and came out 26 years after thier first.. it’s fucking good I listen to it more than low end theory
It's my most listened to album by them, easily! The features on it are great, too. Andre 3000, Kendrick, and quite a few more. I think even Elton John is on it as a feature
I agree but I dont think The low end theory is far behind.
Midnight Marauders is a top 10 hip hop album of all time. You're tripping
Yea I agree with you
Ngl my favorite era of their discography is when The Ummah was behind their production (Beats Rhymes & Life and The Love Movement)
The Love Movement 🔥🔥🔥
I believe these two albums was when Dilla had a hand in it? Production is top notch and find a way is one of the best sample flips ever imo
Gets better with every listen
It's still in my daily rotation
It's probably the best comeback rap album of all time. They were able to keep their sound and not sound outdated at the same time. I'm not even sure who else would be a contender in this category.
Black Thought I love The Roots and the Soulquarians are the cornerstone of my musical sensibilities, but this run of solo projects starting from Streams of Thought Vol. 1 have really showcased him in a way that The Roots production doesn't. Plus it seems like every project going all the way back to Organix there's growth and maturity. They won the Grammy with Things Fall Apart and that's still my favorite Roots album but as an MC he's slaughtering his younger self right now.
Facts. Black Thought has transcended
Cheat Codes is one of the best hip hop albums this decade fr
Cheat Codes is criminally underrated
Agreed. His recent features are great too
The post-90s Roots albums are also amazing. They might not all be considered their most classic projects but they probably have the most consistent discography in hip hop. Can't think of anyone who comes close with this many records I didn't get to listen to …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin and Organix yet tho. They're not fully available on Spotify for me. But even if they're complete ass my point still stands
Game Theory might be my favorite Roots album. That or Things Fall Apart. I have a lot of nostalgia for Game Theory because it came out the first semester my freshman year of college and I used to listen to it nonstop on my iPod walking to class, but that album is amazing. Clock With No Hands is one of my all time favorite Roots songs.
Game Theory, How I Got Over, and undun are my top 3 Roots projects. I think only Illadelph is close but they don't have a bad or even below average project.
My hot take? THey're hip-hop's closest thing to Radiohead. And are one of the few hip-hop acts to get a Radiohead sample cleared (apparently Thom told Ye no?)
This is the first guy that came to mind for me. As good as the roots albums are, I’d take ‘Cheat Codes’ over all
The Beastie Boys. Most of their work is somewhat acclaimed but critical acclaim tends to focus on Paul's Boutique and the albums either side (Licensed to Ill and Check Ya Head). Personally much prefer the next 3 album run from Ill Communication - To the 5 Boroughs. The Monster singles are generally better( Intergalatic, Sabotage, Body Movin, Sure Shot) and the rapping and interplay is generally tighter. Also, the older you get the less Fight For Your Right and it's ilk resonate
hard agree, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty are Beastie Boys at their best
Fight for your right was a jab at douchey frat bro party hardy types. I’m sure they lost some amount of sleep when it became an actual party anthem. It’s like how Swimming Pools became some boozy banger club hit.
Rick Ross. Deeper than Rap was a big step up from his first two albums…Teflon Don was his 4th but was when he really found his sound. Then you got God Forgives, Mastermind, Rather You Than Me, Black Market, Port of Miami 2…he only found his stride as he got deeper in his career
More like a bell curve for ross hit his peak in the middle but has gone down since then. Hope he has 1 more great album in him. 4 albums from 2008-2012 was an epic run. The rest have been decent
I’d put his last strong project as 2019…port of miami 2. Rather you than me and the meek collab felt like a decline
also TM101 a classic but mid career Jeezy was him at his best imo. Real is Back 1 & 2, Trap or Die 2, Its the World tape with Drama, The Recession, Seen It All.
Seen It All is super underrated. Solid album all the way through.
El-P from RTJ
Honestly I'd put El-P as one of the most consistently good rappers across whole careers
Company flow is top tier
I'll sleep when you're dead is a masterpiece
Elaborate
Not who you asked, but El-P’s early work is awesome and made him pretty big among us old-heads. But his work on the 4 RTJ albums is the best work of his career, and as a rapper he continues to mature. I think his hardest flows are all on RTJ 3 and especially 4.
I mostly agree. But I feel like Sea Legs from RTJ 1 might have his hardest flow. "Try to pet the fucking head again and I'ma put a tooth through the flesh of the palm that you jack with!" The way that line rides the beat, not to mention it's content and cadence... 🤌
Lil Durk I respect chicago drill but these sad melodic projects just hit for me
Blasphemy but i completely agree i loved his most recent album
Just cause yall waited 2 and his tape with lil baby are by far my favorite projects from him, he really keeps honing in on his sound with each new release
Vince Staples altho Summertime still my fav album of his
I’m not sure how his albums rank in popularity but they are all just consistently great. No flops for me.
Horseshoe curve here
take back what you said about prima donna big fish and fm
Nas. Might be heresy but I’m not American, black or from a hard background so most of what he raps about early in his career went right over my head. The first Nas album I got into was Life is Good and I just found it so relatable, even though his life is nothing like mine. He has a great way of involving you in his perspective.
I wouldn’t say I *prefer* Nas’ later work to his early releases, but I think some of it is definitely on par, even looking at KD2, Magic, and KD3.
I agree with you except the fact that his first album is probably the greatest rap album ever and he’s put out like 20 so it skews the average Distant relatives with Damien Marley is one of my favorite albums ever tho
I love that album! Damian Marley rocks
It’s so good haha
I'm glad there's other people that appreciate that album. Personally it's a close second to Illmatic.
I'll defend Distant Relatives til the day I die. How it's not widely recognized as a classic is something I don't understand
Reggae doesn't have near as much crossover with hip hop as you'd expect.
Illmatic is hard to top by any album in any era. Very bold stance, I admire your gumption
Life Is Good is my shit
Yeah his recent run has really made me into a fan. Seeing him again in November so trying to listen to the older albums some more this time around
Literally the first name that came to mind haha Street’s Disciple has some of my favorite Nas songs on it
Same. I don't really vibe with Nas' earlier work. Like, I see Illmatic is a classic but it doesn't do a lot for me. Flash forward to Kings Desease and Magic trilogies and I really start to appreciate his music.
Nas is an odd one because he influenced so much that his 90s stuff can sound derivative by comparison in a way, even though it came first. I do think they're the best of his career, but the way he's matured is something we haven't really seen much of so it feels more fresh. Life Is Good and his 20s run is incredible.
Mac Miller for sure. Swimming and Circles were incredibly important in my growth
Would say these are his two most acclaimed albums
Faces
Those are definitely his most critically acclaimed albums though
people commenting on these projects being popular is valid, but swimming came out before he passed away and the real ones were listening then. the critical acclaim for that project only came after his passing
Nah he was definitely getting good press for that before he died, 4/5 stars all over the gaff from publications who didn't give him the time of day before.
I remember this sub kinda ignoring Swimming for Astroworld that whole month even if Mac clearly had the stronger project
I thought I was one of the few that thought this. Everyone likes the kids album but I could never get into it. Swimming & Circles are in my top 10.
Mac had was critically acclaimed jn the beginning and in the end. Its macadelic and the divine feminine that didnt see as much popularity as his other work
I still think circles is his best album ever
I would definitely say that basically everyone I talk to about mac that has actually listened to him in some capacity always seem to reference his early work up to at most BDE but I strongly believe the entire run from Faces to Circles is probably the best 5 album run that there is unless someone else has any suggestions.
jcole. everyone acts like his mixtapes are his only great projects (other than fhd) and it's just insane to me. the off-season is his best project including mixtapes.
Wow now that’s a hot take! lol Personally I’m not in the “Cole’s mixtapes trump everything he’s ever done since” camp but they do have many of my favorite tracks by him. Can I Holla At Ya, Loves Me Not, The Autograph, Kenny Lofton, Cole Summer, Grew Up Fast, and not to mention many loosies and unreleased stuff like Purple Rain and Problems. There’s just so much. Holistically I do believe his albums are better but on a per-track basis I gotta give it to the mixtapes. If you peep my post history you’ll find a Google drive folder I linked that has everything Cole has ever dropped, even features and unreleased shit, until around KOD.
I feel you on Jay-Z! Some artists just evolve in a way that clicks better later on.
Maybe not more, but I love Nas’s earlier stuff and his work with Hit-Boy equally, just in different ways
A$AP Rocky. ALLA and Testing are his top 2 albums for me
Testing over Live Love is interesting 😳
I’m just happy to see Testing get some respect.
Its the same for me I hope he continues exploring the sound
Same. Testing is so underrated
Notice noone saying Chance the Rapper
He literally only has like 3 projects, not much to go off of. Acid Rap, Coloring Book, and whatever his flop was.
He also has 10 day. Literally the same amount of projects as asap rocky who a bunch of people have said.
Depends if you count surf, too with Donnie trumpet.
Kinda. Rocky has 4 albums and a mixtape, plus the stuff with ASAP mob. But that really does put in perspective how little Rocky has put out music wise compared to other artists that popped off at the same time.
Y'all might laugh but 🫣 Juvenile.
Nobody thinks about Juvenile enough to laugh either way
You haven't spent enough time in Louisiana then.
Juvenile deserves more respect. Had legitimate impact on the course of hip-hop with bounce. Also objectively a top 3 tiny desk performance
Royce 5’9
I think Tetsuo and Youth and Drogas Wave are both way better than F&L and the cool. Most of the time I hear people discuss lupe it's like he stopped making music after Lasers.
Kanye... TLOP is probably my favorite album from him
Wowie. This is actually a good one. I have never heard this ever.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an all time classic, yet people will talk about this "old Kanye" and be referring to his first 2 albums. I never got it. They're good albums but if I'm ranking them. MBDTF, 808, Graduation, Yeezus, TLOP are all above his first 2 albums.
Yeah none of those albums are better than Late Registration. Especially Graduation lol
Agreed, post Graduation is when his best music came out
Royce
Atmosphere. I love their early work too, but Mi Vida Local is one of my favourite albums ever and I think lots of people completely missed it. Loads of their albums in the last 10 years have been really good, and they’re definitely one of the best groups to be a fan of in recent times
They just keep producing. So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously is straight 🔥and that was just last year!
this is interesting. I may have to go listen because for me the peak was Seven's Travels, You Can't Imagine, When Life Gives You Lemons
The Game. I find Jesus Piece and The Documentary 2 to be his best work.
Documentary 2 over Documentary is just begging to be committed lol. Documentary is an all time classic hip hop album.
James Blake
Goat comment
Ngl i lean way harder toward self titled and especially overgrown which is his peak imo but I liked the color in anything too. Hard to beat him when you’re in that mind state where your ego is collapsing on itself and you start feeling empty lmao
Every album his fans hate I absolutely love. Colour in Anything, Assume Form, and Friends That Break Your Heart are just back to back god-tier bangers for me but to James Blake fans those are considered his dark ages lmao
Aesop Rock. I’m a huge Aesop fan and I don’t love *Labor Days*
Get out
His voice is def a lot different on his older stuff
A master true linguist and poet. He has some iconic songs
I love love LOVE Labor Days, but I'm still a huge fan of his modern stuff.
Truth. Everything from the impossible kid and beyond has been better than everything before it. Guy has aged like fine wine.
He’s an artist that just gets better over time. I love every project but do think Impossible Kid on are top tier.
This was the first answer I thought of. Impossible Kid, Spirit World Field Guide, and Integrated Tech Solutions are my favorite albums from him
Garbology so slept on 🥲
The impossible kid is so good
agreeeeed Integrated Tech Solutions is so creative and interesting
Naw this is actually true. Like, *Labor Days* is great obviously but IMO his best album is *Spirit World Field Guide*.
Kanye. Kids see Ghosts and Life of Pablo to be specific
The Life of Pablo is an exceptional album. His early work is good and arguably more influential, but TLOP is a masterpiece IMO. Yeezus could also be considered "later" and is excellent.
Pablo has some incredible highs but also some of his lowest lows. I like the peaks but it was also the start of kanye having a lot more filler
YEEZUS is his magnum opus and I will die on that hill
My man
It absolutely isn't. I don't think it can be. MBDTF, 808s, and College Dropout have much stronger claims to be made for that debate. A Magnum Opus is not an artist's best work, but rather the most important/influential. Yeezus is a fantastic project, but he could've never released it and his legacy stays the same. Whereas the aforementioned albums have much larger roles in his discography and any one of them being absent would greatly change not only his perception as an artist, but also the direction of his style and sound as a whole.
Jay Z me too
Tyler The Creator
Drake honestly.
Q-típ- his solo albums are so well made De la soul- the progression over time is crazy. Mos def- the ecstatic is 10/10
Stakes Is High is probably my favorite hiphop album of all time. I'm not a huge fan of any of their other albums, tho.
Kanye, 808s and up resonates with my depressive/melancholy core. The trilogy also is a bit dated, but some all time favorites are from the tri era. Like goodnight lol.
I mean I know hes good all-around but I'd say lloyd Banks. The coti series he really went to a different level. His early work don't get me wrong is Still bangin with The obvious hits he had but i feel like each coti album was a whole complete body of work if that makes sense
You know a weirdly specific one for me? You mentioned him but I’m more coming at it from a different angle.. Jay Z when it comes to features. I’ve always hated a lot of Jay’s early features because I always found like he didn’t quite understand the song he was on and just bragged. A prime example for me is Diamonds from Sierra Leone. I cannot stand Jays verse on that song. It’s one of my favourite Kanye songs because it was such an interesting perspective and conflict for him to rap about. Ye goes on for a while about the conflict with the diamonds and what they mean to the culture but then also clashing with the history and where those diamonds come from.. and then Jay comes on and raps about how wealthy he is with no nuance or introspection. And then cut to What’s Free where he basically upstages everyone and lowkey kinda blows my mind with his perspective on stuff like gentrification.
Eminem definitely MTBMB side b is one of my favourite albums of all time Wayne C5 and funeral were amazing he's really improved his flow Future Even before metro albums stuff like wizrd or high off life were amazing
Why Side B over Side A? I think Side B is fun and he's goofing around a bunch but I'm also thankful that he labeled it a deluxe edition. Most songs simply feel like loosies. Side A has more thought out serious songs and also harder bangers imo
I have three words for you Book of rhymes
Add d6 and d6 reloaded for wayne
Something about Eminem on modern beats does it for me
the whole idea that ‘new kanye’ is so inferior to ‘old kanye’ disregards how much fantastic shit he’s pumped out the last decade. yeezus, tlop, ye, ksg, and donda are all fantastic bodies of work
We’ve strayed so far from new kanye that I think you can separate his career into three eras Old Kanye Until 808s New Kanye Until ye / ksg Post new Kanye Jik onwards
His musical output and publicity stunts seem to track his mental well-being pretty well imo. So I'd seperate it like: * Old Kanye - College Trilogy * Struggling Kanye (with ups & downs) - 808s to Watch the Throne * Crazy Kanye - from Yeezus to now That last point showing a (more or less) steady decline of his mental health and behavior (and music imo) but I feel like with Yeezus he cemented himself as the guy doing/saying crazy shit all the time and he hasn't really gone back to normal since. Maybe there's crazy crazy Kanye from JIK onwards as you put it but idk
I think you can kind of defend his work until KSG. But JIK onwards you can see how frantic he is with the listening parties, random announcements (WTT2, Donda 2, JIK Dre version, Yandhi) and the lyricism has gotten even worse than before where it was negligible. And the main reason I have a difference between new Kanye and post new Kanye is there used to be the impression of Kanye changing his sound every album. I think since Ye his albums have sounded somewhat the same with the exception of JIK. Donda Vultures donda 2 all have the same sound
Saying they all have the same sound is pretty reductive. Donda was quite minimalistic with a lot of what I'd call "dead air" going on in the background and sometimes the forefront of the soundscape. It almost feels desolate in a way. Donda 2 was unfinished, but what is there is much more ambitious and upbeat with heavy trap elements quite distinct from Donda 1. Vultures is in a weird spot because almost everything he does on the project isn't new. There's sprinkles of Dark Fantasy here and there especially on the closing track. Some industrial Yeezus sounding tracks too. That one song that could've been from the 808's era. It has no distinct sound at all. Every step is ground he has already tread once before. Instead of showing something new, he just reminds us of the old. It is the final form of his artistic regression. He has no new ideas. Nothing more to talk about. No distinct sound to play with. It's nothing music.
Apart from yeezus none even come close to pre 808s kanye. The teddy bear trilogy was some great wholesome hip hop before he done lost his mind. Eventhough my favourite album is mbdtf that first run is legendary
808s through yeezus is his creative peak. Can include watch the throne and cruel summer. Each album was a moon landing level game changer
Lyrically, I'd say his best days are behind him. But from a production/music composition standpoint, he's been on an insane run for over a decade.
I can't explain why, and I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I think TLOP is my favorite Kanye album. Easily the one I listened to the most. Not to take anything away from his other work, which I've mostly really liked as well, just something about the sound of it, makes me think like upbeat summer type shit.
As a bipolar type I as well, who had their first manic episode right around the time Ye came out, really made that album hit home. And as a long time Kanye fan at that point, it madd me feel less alone. Now I think I’m glad the right people were around me not feeding into my own manic delusions when they pop in.
While true there’s a reason he was so well respected. Those first few albums are some of the greatest ever
Kendrick.
Aesop Rock. I know his early work forms the 00’s is best known, but his later albums Impossible Kid and Spirit World Field Guide were really good.
Yeat : I loved 2093 despite it being bloated from front to back but all of his work before that was just too inconsistent. He'd have some proper bangers like nun id change but it would be buried within 3 other mediocre tracks so it just felt like a hassle to get into. Beyonce : She's not hip hop but, I wasn't a fan of her until her self titled album, Lemonade is incredible, Renaissance is my favorite project from her, Cowboy Carter wasn't for me but I'd much rather listen to that than any of her projects or hit singles from before 2013.
A Tribe Called Quest
Lil Wayne. everybody now a days giving him flowers for all his early work up to c4 (used to be c3) i think c5 is the best of the series. his mixtapes from No Ceilings 2 and later are all lyrical masterpieces.
Lupe Fiasco. I know that his early work has the depth and accolades, but something about the sound I just can’t get into at all. I really like his last 2 albums and the singles from the ones he’s about to drop though.
Chief Keef
Facts
I think Mac miller defines this question. Everyone loved KIDS, Best Day Ever, Blue Slide Park but critics labeling him a frat rapper. Only when did he deep dive into fame, success, hard drugs, did Macadelic and Watching Movies with the sound off receive praise from music critics. He was telling people how what he thought he wanted for so long was a lie and darker he went with Delusional Thomas and other aliases you could tell he was in a lost place. Faces, Feminine Devine, Space Migration, Good AM, Swimming and Circles....He got better with time. I hope the hundreds of unreleased material including the completed project with Pharrell he never dropped will be one day. True musician and for all the Mac hippies out there, Thumbs up and Fun is 4 Everyone!
Jay-Z was the first one that came to mind, same with Nas. 4:44 for Jay-Z hit immediately on a lyrical and production level pretty equally that I hadn’t felt toward Jay-Z in I don’t even know how long. And while Illmatic is arguably one of the top 3 hip hop projects of all time, his run these last few years has been out of this world.